Archery Tips
by AJ Morrelli
Summary: Another challenge fic.  Zevran discovers something very interesting about the Warden during an archery lesson.


((Author's note: Don't own Dragon Age or Zevran, though Cassian is (mostly) mine to use and abuse. Just a little fun fic that came about from a meme prompt.))

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Growing up in an alienage left Cassian Tabris with very little time to learn the fine art of shooting a bow. Blades he did well with. Very well. Sending an arrow into a genlock's eye, on the other hand, was better left to Leliana or Zevran. Those two, on the other hand, felt that it was best the more enemies they could take down from a distance, the better.

So here he was, standing in a field with the latter behind him, hands pushing at his arms and pulling at his shoulders to get him into "some semblance of proper form" while he stared down the rough target that had been propped against the tree on the opposite end.

"I don't see why I can't just use a crossbow, like Alistair," he lamented for what was probably the seventh time.

"Warden, I'm hurt." There was no missing the pout in Zevran's voice. "I procure you this fine Antivan longbow and you wish to use such a crude weapon instead?"

"You make it sound like you went all the way home to get it."

Zevran snorted. "That corpse certainly wasn't going to be using it any longer." He pushed Cassian's shoulder back. "Quit slouching."

The other elf slid around him again, pressing his chest to Cassian's back as he reached around, making sure he was holding his form. When Zevran continued to keep his hands on him, he started to shift from foot to foot.

"Patience, Cassian. A master archer has to be able to hold his stance so he can get the perfect shot."

"I'm not aiming to be a master. I just want to ki-What's so funny?"

Zevran was snickering, his question turning it into an outright laugh. The Antivan's breath tickled over Cassian's ear and he shuddered, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"A master archer," Zevran leaned closer, letting his lips brush over the shell of Cassian's ear, "is also immune to distractions."

Cassian's breathing hitched as another shiver ran through him. "I'm not-"

"I know." He could feel the smile on Zevran's lips. "Which is why you need to be properly trained."

"T-Trained?" The way Zevran had said that didn't sound like he was talking about archery any longer.

"Lessons learned here carry over into other things as well. Like how to keep a steady hand. And again, not be distracted in the middle of a fight." Zevran's hands braced under Cassian's biceps, almost pulling him back against the other elf, even though he was still holding his bow at the ready. A good thing he did, too, because feeling Zevran's tongue sliding up the shell of his ear made his knees buckle. "Steady now."

"Zev, stop it." He tried to make his voice firm rather than the groan that threatened to come out. As it was, he was having a hard enough time not panting, which was making it very hard to catch his breath at the moment.

"I'm doing nothing, my dear Warden. It's all in your imagination." Tongue again, this time flicking at the very tip of Cassian's ear, followed by a suckle.

"Maker! Zevran!" Cassian's whole body twitched, his hold on the bow faltering enough that he released the arrow, driving it into the ground several feet away. Clarity came as the string of the bow snapped into his wrist. "Damn it!"

"My poor Warden. I'm sorry." The sweetness in Zevran's voice seemed a little contrived and his lips were still too close for comfort. "Why don't you let me make it up to you?" Each syllable seemed to hum in Cassian's ear, the feel of it causing gooseflesh to prickle up on his skin. The brush of Zevran's fingers down his arms wasn't exactly calming that either.

"Not helping, Zev." Cassian found himself in Zevran's embrace, the lips of the dark-skinned elf still brushing at his ear, kissing there and pulling at his earlobe. Maker, he had to keep from whimpering at the feel of that.

"What might help then? This?"

Zevran wriggled his tongue inside of Cassian's ear and the younger elf felt his knees give, barely choking back the moan that escaped from the back of his throat. Thanks to that, the two of them found themselves on the ground, Zevran still holding Cassian to him, not that he had the wits to protest at the moment.

"Goodness, Cassian." There was no hiding Zevran's smile, on his face or in his tone. "I had no idea you were so sensitive."

That seemed to draw him out of his haze a little. "Liar," was about the most articulate retort he could come up with.

"Maybe just a little. I will say it's a pleasant discovery, no?"

He swallowed. "I...I'm not sure. It is...nice, but I don't...It's...strange, too. I-"

Zevran combed his fingers through Cassian's dusty hair. "_Mi amor_ has never been properly teased, has he?" There was most decidedly a grin on the other man's face and he laid a kiss behind Cassian's ear, making him shiver again.

"Me a more?" He did his best to twist around to look at the other elf, not breaking from his hold yet, though.

"_Mi amor_," Zevran corrected gently. "My love." He brought a finger up, tracing it along Cassian's jaw, making him swallow. "Affection, nothing more than that, my dear Cassian. Never fear."

He chuckled softly, finding it rather difficult to meet Zevran's gaze at the moment. Even if he was only using it as an endearment, like he used 'dear,' it still felt weighted. Since the day of his wedding, he never imagined anything like this, let alone with an assassin that had almost ended his life. Or a _male_ assassin for that matter.

The brush of lips over his own fluttered him out of his thoughts. "You make it too easy to steal kisses," Zevran stated with a grin. "Have I stolen your wits as well?"

Cassian shook his head, swallowing again. "I'm just not sure about this, Zev." His gaze turned down once more. "I've never..." He could feel his cheeks starting to grow warm, cursing himself silently. "Never once. Let alone with a man."

Zevran let out a soft 'tsk' of a sound. "You needn't worry about that, my dear Cassian. I know your virtue," and that only made him blush _harder_, "is something you cherish. All I'm proposing is something..." He trailed off with a bit of a hum. "Perhaps not quite as enjoyable, but something I know you'll like."

He shook his head. "I'm still not so sure, Zev, I do-hah. Mmmnn. Don't. Maker, don't." In the middle of his protest, Zevran had leaned in and seized his earlobe between his teeth, giving it a little nibble. The feeling of it immediately caused his breathing to pick up again.

"Why not?" He barely moved his lips away, punctuating the question with another flick of his tongue.

"Zev, please. That's...I..." His hand balled into Zevran's shirt, his lower body actually starting to squirm as the other elf completely ignored him and continued stroking at his ear, breaking it up with a wriggle or two inside as well.

"You protest too much." There was a faint growl in the Antivan's words and he began teasing him in earnest, sliding his tongue along the curve of his ear, teasing inside of it, and nipping at his earlobe. All three had Cassian gasping, there being a surge of pleasure that kept washing over him, pooling in the spot below his stomach and making his lower body writhe almost of its own volition.

He hadn't even realized Zevran had been guiding them back until he connected with the earth. Zevran remained on top of him, pinning his body but leaving his hands free to grip at his shirt or bunch into the blonde's long hair. Head nuzzled to the side, all he seemed able to do was hold on and give himself over completely to his partner.

The strokes along his ear grew to a constant pace, broken up by swirls inside that would sometimes trail down to help tease the lobe caught between nipping, nibbling teeth. Back arching, he felt his ear slip free as Zevran let out a gasp of his own, not expecting the brush below his waist that had come from the gesture.

Feeling a hand move to his hip, Cassian found himself guided into a steady rocking motion that brought the two of them closer together. In addition to feeling the two of them brushing together, Zevran was teasing at the tip of his ear, swirling his tongue around it, flicking it, and making him gasp each time he seized it between his lips and suckled on it.

"Such a sweet voice you have," was murmured against his ear. "Can I hear more of it, I wonder?" Zevran began to slow his attentions, drawing out the brush of his tongue into long traces that slid from lobe to tip. His swirls grew rather languid and his nips became infrequent.

Cassian whimpered, sliding his legs around the other's lower half. That made it easier to bring the two of them together, the feel of that only partially easing the ache that was starting to build. Any relief he managed to bring himself was quickly stolen by a new surge of pleasure that Zevran managed to coax with his teasing.

Though he'd been muffling his cries before, he was finding it harder and harder to do so. Lips parted, he found himself moaning into Zevran's ear as the slow pace began to turn into something that felt even more tender. Strokes became followed with a breath that raised prickles on his skin and the attention to his tip grew into more nibbles, feeling it pinched between teeth and then tended to by a rather thorough tongue.

Each brush of their bodies, each flick of the Antivan's tongue or nip of teeth, they were all starting to make his head swim. Again, he began pleading with his partner, but this time, the last thing he wanted him to do was stop.

"Please, Zev." His whole body felt warm, more groans than words escaping his lips. He was actually pulling the blonde's hair he was gripping it so tight but that hardly deterred him. As he felt the tension growing in his muscles, his moans actually pitched higher, coming out on every breath, especially as he felt Zevran picking up the pace of his attentions again. "Zevran!" He groaned out the other man's name.

The only answer he got was a curious hum that rumbled right into his ear. That, followed by the stroke of Zevran's tongue along the inner shell of his ear brought a shudder to his body, which tightened the knots of pleasure that had begun twisting through his muscles. The long strokes that slid up to the tip of his ear brought him right to the edge and the last drag of teeth sent him over, trembling in Zevran's hold with a gasp, his lower body bucking some as his legs squeezed tighter around the other elf. The grip of his hands, too, pulled at the blonde's shirt, tugging on his hair as well, releasing it as soon as he realized how hard he was gripping him.

"Maker's mercy, Zev." He could barely get the words out, fighting to catch his breath as he sagged back to the ground.

He felt a nuzzle at his cheek, dropping down to his neck where he felt little kisses peppering the side of his throat. "Mmm, what a delightful little discovery, hmm, my dear Cassian?" There was a thick purr in the Antivan's voice.

"Zev, I...this was...just...not...maybe?"

That had Zevran laughing, drawing back to grin down at the other elf. "I'll let you decide later if that's the case, since clearly you are going to need more instruction."


End file.
